Anecdotes & Incidents Of The Deaf And Dumb Part 6

An arrangement was at length made for the good old man to partake of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, when he made, as it appeared to the chaplain and matron, the singular request that the young mute might partake of it with him. A secret was then divulged which had been known only to the two patients themselves. Having spent a long period of time together, the old man had improved the opportunity thus afforded to effect intercourse with the youth by signs, and had been enabled, by the Divine blessing, to convey to him a knowledge of salvation through a crucified Redeemer. There appeared every reason to believe that the poor fellow possessed an enlightened understanding and a renewed mind, and he was allowed to partic.i.p.ate in the desired privilege.

Shortly after this the old man died, and when the youth was made sensible of the event, his countenance brightened with joy; he waved his hand and pointed up to the sky to intimate that he was gone into heaven.

After a time the mute followed his kind friend and instructor. When he felt himself dying, he first put his fingers in his ears and took them out again, to show that his ears would be unstopped; he then put out his tongue and pointed to heaven, to show that that would be unloosed.

These facts were communicated to a friend by the matron of the Infirmary--herself an eminent christian, who has since died, and who did not doubt that the youth had obtained a correct and experimental knowledge of the gospel of salvation.

A DEAF AND DUMB MAN IN THE REVISION COURT.

On Thursday afternoon a singular scene was witnessed during the proceedings of the Revision Court, at Ashton-under-Lyne. A man named James Booth, of 3, Dog Dungeon, Hurst polling district, was objected to by the Conservatives, and Mr. Booth, their solicitor, announced that the man was deaf and dumb, but just able to utter a monosyllable now and then. Mr. Chorlton, the Liberal solicitor: What can I do (laughter)? Mr.

Booth first by writing asked what the man's name was, and then began to talk to him with his fingers, but being an indifferent chirologist he made very poor progress. He had merely elicited that the man was the owner when Mr. Chorlton began to grow impatient, and inquired, Why don't they both go to the Isle of Man for a week (laughter)? Nothing more could be got out of the man except a "yes" or "no" after questions had been patiently propounded by Mr. Booth in the dactyologic alphabet.

At length the Barrister spied a rent book, and this was pounced upon and the vote allowed very joyfully, to save further trouble. The dumb man then spake, stuttering, and with great effort, I claim my expenses. Mr.

Chorlton: He's got those words all right, at any rate (laughter.) Mr.

Booth: He can talk a little but hear nothing. Recourse was again had by Mr. Booth to his digits, and he interpreted to the court that the man was a hat body maker, and wanted 5s. 6d. The Barrister: I will allow 5s.

The money was handed to the man, and he went away smiling.--_Newcastle Journal._

JULIA BRACE.

Julia Brace, a deaf, dumb, and blind woman, who died in August, 1884, in her seventy-eighth year, was well known all over America, at least wherever attention has been paid to the education of deaf mutes. In the year 1810, when about four years old, she lost her sight and hearing from malignant sickness. At that time there was no school for deaf mutes. It was not until after she was turned nineteen years that she entered school, and she remained there between twenty and twenty-five years. During her long stay at the school her case always attracted particularly interesting attention on the part of visitors. In many ways she could render much service in the daily work of the Inst.i.tution. She could even distinguish clothes belonging to different pupils, and was therefore employed in sorting and putting them away. She had a good many curious and amusing ways. For instance, when girl-pupils, dressing, took their turns before the looking gla.s.s to comb up their hair, she always insisted on having her turn, and would stand there to comb hers like any one else. But one thing was noticeable. She had a very clear notion of her own rights, and would not allow any interference with them.

Sometimes her idea of a personal right was rather out of a common course, but she had no question about it, and probably could not see how any one should have.

Her case is not to be compared with that of Laura Bridgman, who possessed mental powers of a higher order. She had not got the benefit of early, a.s.siduous, and special care that was given to the latter, and probably she had a much less acute mental const.i.tution at the outset of her education. Her education began late, and at a time when very little was known of the proper way of education for a case like hers; and she consequently did not make much progress in language. However, it has been found quite easy to communicate with her as to all the common events of her daily life.

"AN AMUSING STORY."

Here is an amusing story hailing from Munich. During the past year the professor of Aesthetics in the University, whose lectures are proverbially wearisome, delivered his lectures (as usual) to a scanty audience. There were five students in all, who, week by week, melted and grew "beautifully less," until at last but one was left. This solitary individual, however, seemed to concentrate in his own person all the diligence, application, and punctuality of his frivolous fellows. At the conclusion of the last lecture of the course the professor approached him and praised him for these admirable qualities, and proceeded to inquire of him, "What is your name, my young friend?" No answer. "What country are you from?" Absolute silence. The matter was soon elucidated, for it was discovered that the patient and persevering disciple was a poor deaf mute, who had taken refuge from the severe cold of winter in the warm lecture rooms of the University.

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The following is extracted from "The Christian Leader":--At a Christmas compet.i.tion of blind readers which took place on Friday and Sat.u.r.day, 21st and 22nd December, 1883, in the Mission Hall in Bath Street, Glasgow, was found a blind deaf mute among the blind hearing compet.i.tors. Educated when young in the Inst.i.tution for the Deaf and Dumb, he was able to do for himself until he lost his sight two or three years ago. He had then to make use of his fingers in reading as well as speaking; and in spite of the formidable difficulties in the way of his learning the embossed type, he made a most creditable appearance on Sat.u.r.day and gained a special prize. The remark made by one of the examiners when this man was reading will, we are sure, express the thought of all who peruse these lines--"How thankful to G.o.d we ought to be for the use of our faculties, and especially for this precious blessing of sight!" This blind deaf mute is Mr. Daniel Hunter Ardrossan, one of the members of the Ayrs.h.i.+re Deaf and Dumb Mission.

A DEAF MUTE'S HEROISM.

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About five o'clock on Sunday afternoon several gentlemen standing on Vine Street Wharf witnessed an act which was highly commendable. Thomas Hall, a lad of nine years, having strayed from his parents, was at play upon the wharf mentioned, when his foot slipped and he was precipitated into the strong tide of the Delaware. A deaf mute named Argus Cornish, an eccentric genius, who does odd jobs along the wharves, and who, an outcast himself, seems to take pleasurable pride in protecting others, and has already saved several lives, although standing with his back to the scene of accident, seemed, as his name implied, to have a hundred eyes. Without any hesitation he stripped off his coat and shoes, and plunging into the water, in a short time brought the boy safe to land.

Argus' heroism should not be overlooked.--_American Paper._

THE RIGHT HON. W. E. GLADSTONE AND THE DEAF AND DUMB.

Mr. Gladstone, on being presented with the freedom of the Wors.h.i.+pful Company of Turners, gave an address from which the following is an abstract:--

I went a few days ago to examine the collection of works prepared at Messrs. Doulton's Pottery to be sent to the Exhibition at Philadelphia.

Those works were delightful for the eye to behold. They were also highly satisfactory on the distinct ground that the price of production appeared to be so moderate; but, most of all were they delightful to me, because they were true products of the soil. There was a high faculty of art as it seemed to me developed in the production of those works, and that faculty of art had grown up in Lambeth. It was the Lambeth School of Art from which Messrs. Doulton derived an abundant supply of workers to whom they could intrust the preparation of those admirable objects.

Among the works I would mention one. It was a beautiful piece of work produced by a youth who from his birth was both deaf and dumb. Now, consider what it is to be deaf and dumb; what a cutting off of resources; what a stinting of the means of training and improvement; and then consider, notwithstanding this, how it was through an inborn resolution in the centre of his being it was in the power of this lad to make himself a producer of works that could command admiration on the score of beauty, again showing how the energies, if rightly directed, can be forthcoming when required.

A DEAF AND DUMB GIRL'S DREAM.

(WRITTEN BY HERSELF.)

I had a dream on the 26th of January. I was going for rolls, and going back I met Gracie, a friend of mine, and she and I spoke quite well--we were not deaf and dumb. A poor boy, very ragged, carried a basket with some coloured gla.s.ses and stones, very bright, and some curious musical instruments that I had never seen before. He walked behind us, and he called to Gracie, and she turned to him, and he said to her that he wanted her to buy many of them; that they were a penny each. We took them up and looked at them, and they were very curious. She chose a bright red one for a brooch, and bought it for a penny. Then he said to me "Will you buy some?" But I did not want to be tempted to buy, and he told me a great deal about its very beautiful sounds; that it was more beautiful than all the others, and nothing could be more beautiful to hear in this world, and he showed me how to play on it, and we heard beautiful sounds. So I changed my mind, and wanted it very much, because I could hear it. Then I saw a policeman come up to us because he heard the beautiful music; and he laughed very much, and looked so very happy.

I said to the poor boy, "Thank you very much for your showing me how to play on it." And he was very glad as he went away. Gracie went home, and I went home, carrying my gla.s.s organ with me.

The above appears to us specially interesting; it is a curious circ.u.mstance that a deaf and dumb girl should seem to hear sound in her sleep.

A DEAF AND DUMB COUNCILLOR.

Kapotrine Moller, a Russian Councillor of State, son of General Moller, and nephew of the tutor to the Grand Dukes Nicholas and Michael, has just died at the age of eighty-three. He himself, his brother, and sister were all born deaf and dumb. He was educated in the Deaf and Dumb Inst.i.tution in St. Petersburg, rapidly learnt to read, and showed such ability that he was first admitted into the Imperial Chancery and afterwards into the Council of State.

DEAF AND DUMB BOY AND HIS MOTHER.

Zachariah was a deaf and dumb boy, thirteen years of age, who was being educated in an Inst.i.tution for the Deaf and Dumb, after an absence of four years he went home to see his mother. When he entered her house, in company with his benefactor, she was sitting in a state of intoxication, which greatly affected him. He took his pencil, and thus attempted to show her the evil and danger of such conduct, and gave her much good advice. After retiring with his friend, at whose house he went to lodge, his countenance became very sorrowful, and the tears trickled down his cheeks. His friend asked him the occasion of all this, when he wrote "that he was thinking if he got to heaven how sorry he should be not to find his mother there."

SPEED OF MANUAL SPELLING.

[Ill.u.s.tration: The Manual Alphabet]

In reply to a question "What is the number of words a good hand speaker can make or say in one minute?" A deaf mute says, "Take the average number of letters per word of the English language as five; this is the number decided upon by the Postal Telegraph department. The average of the Bible is about 4-1/8."

A good hand speaker can go through the alphabet ten times in one minute.